CF Article in New Yorker

The May 4th issue of The New Yorker has a great article about the effort to find genetic treatments for Cystic Fibrosis. (full article requires registration)

Although the treatment of genetic disorders has long been considered too small a market for most pharmaceutical companies, an increasing number of biotech firms have found that genetic research can be used in broader ways than anticipated. All of the physicians and scientists the writer spoke with emphasized the many unknown variables, but for the first time, there is convincing evidence that the underlying defect in cystic fibrosis can be corrected.

The New Yorker had a cutting edge report 5 years ago that also dealt with CF. That article was less about the drugs, but more about the efficacy of different hospitals. The controversy then was about a rating system that showed better success among aggressive programs such as the one in Minneapolis.